Tuesday, November 29, 2011

I feel like I’m living the first line of my obituary.
I don’t think there will be anything else that I do in my life
as important as what I do now for Wikipedia. We’re not just building an
encyclopedia, we’re working to make people free. When we have access to
free knowledge, we are better people. We understand the world is bigger
than us, and we become infected with tolerance and understanding.
Wikipedia is the 5th most visited website in the world. I work at
the small non-profit that keeps it on the web. We don’t run ads because
doing so would sacrifice our independence. The site is not and should
never be a propaganda tool.
Our work is possible because of donations from our readers. Will
you help protect Wikipedia by donating ₹100, ₹200, ₹300 or whatever you
can afford?
I work at the Wikimedia Foundation because everything in my soul
tells me it’s the right thing to do. I’ve worked at huge tech companies,
doing some job to build some crappy thing that’s designed to steal
money from some kid who doesn’t know it. I would come home from work
crushed.
You might not know this, but the Wikimedia Foundation operates
with a very small staff. Most other top-ten sites have tens of thousands
of people and massive budgets. But they produce a fraction of what we
pull off with sticks and wire.

When you give to Wikipedia, you’re supporting free knowledge
around the world. You’re not only leaving a legacy for your children and
for their children, you’re elevating people around the world who have
access to this treasure. You’re assuring that one day everyone else will
too.
Thank you,
Brandon Harris (Programmer, Wikimedia Foundation)